Leaf-bare's Promise
by XxBrightstarxX
Summary: The event Leaf-bare's Promise requires each Clan to sacrifice one cat to StarClan every year in order to ensure that Newleaf will come. Mistkit's mother and sister are both killed because of Leaf-bare's Promise, and she wants nothing more than to stop this tradition.
1. Prologue

**I'm not quite sure how my first fanfiction is going to go, but I'm going to try to make it at least 20,000 words. **

**I own the characters and Clans, but the Erins created the idea of having warriors, Clans, fights and forests.**

**Prologue**

"Come on, sweetie," Featherpelt encouraged. She picked young Mistkit up by the scruff of her neck and carried her out of the nursery. Mistkit was shocked. _Where are we going? _she wondered. _Where's Pebblekit?_

"Where's Pebblekit?" Mistkit asked, "Where's mom?" Featherpelt didn't respond. She didn't have the heart to tell the poor kit what was really going on. Mistkit and Pebblekit had always been inseparable since the moment they were born, five moons ago. The end of leaf-bare had never been easy for any cat. StarClan required a sacrifice from each Clan at the end of each leaf-bare.

"Where's Pebblekit?" Mistkit repeated, her voice trembling a bit. Featherpelt looking away didn't reassure her. Mistkit jumped away from Featherpelt's grasp and turned back to face her. _Oh. _Featherpelt's eyes gave everything away. Everything.

"No!" The kit shouted. Mistkit didn't know what to do. Why hadn't they told her before? It was unfair! The Clans could starve for all she cared. Why hadn't her mother ran away? She, Pebblekit, and her parents could have hid in the forest and they could have avoided this. But it was too late. Mistkit ran. Into the forest. She could still save her mother.

She ran far and fast, tripping on branch after branch. She still had time, she could save her mother if she could find her. Hope flooded through her as she found a group of cats gathered together. The Fourtrees! She ran to the cats and broke into the group.

"Mistkit, no!" Featherpelt yelled as she ran after her, but it was too late.

Only four cats had to be sacrificed -one from each Clan. That was all that StarClan required in order to have a safe Newleaf.

Who was the fifth cat that laid on the ground?

**So at the end of winter, each Clan has to sacrifice one cat to StarClan. In return, StarClan promises them that winter will end and spring will come. The night before the sacrifices (Leaf-bare's Promise), StarClan tells the medicine cat of each Clan which warrior, which queen, which apprentice, which kit, and which elder must come to the Fourtrees. A StarClan warrior will pick and kill one of those cats.**

**In the story, Mistkit knew what Leaf-bare's Promise was, but the kits hadn't known that it would happen so soon. **

**Please check out the poll on my profile, and please review! Thank you!**


	2. Ch 1: A New Apprentice

**Hello. **

**Mostly just the allegiances in this chapter, but it also has some setting the scenes.I made pretty simple descriptions for each cat -just enough to get the basic idea for them.  
**

**DawnClan:**

**Leader: **Brightstar: Ginger she-cat with yellow eyes.**  
**

**Deputy: **Stormwhisker: Dark gray tom with white paws and blue eyes.

**Medicine Cat: **Asheye: Small light gray she-cat with a white underbelly and flecks.**  
**

**Warriors: **Blizzardwing: Dark gray she-cat with amber eyes. Apprentice: Rowanpaw

Groundpelt: Large brown tom with amber eyes. Apprentice: Skypaw

Goldenblaze: Medium-sized orange tabby she-cat. Apprentice: Honeypaw

Swiftfire: Small black and white tom with green eyes.

Creekfeather: Longhaired white tom with light gray patches and light blue eyes. Apprentice: Mistpaw

**Apprentices: **Honeypaw: Light ginger tabby she-cat.

Rowanpaw: Large dark red and brown she-cat with amber eyes.

Skypaw: Light gray tom with large white patches and dark blue eyes.

Mistpaw: Small gray tabby she-cat.

**Queens: **Featherpelt: (Mate is Groundpelt) Large dark blue she-cat with a soft white underbelly and dark blue eyes. Kits: Pinekit

Darksky: (Mate is Swiftfire) Small black she-cat with yellow eyes. Kits: Owlkit, Otterkit, Oatkit, Oakkit

**Elders:**

Fernfoot: Brown she-cat with amber eyes.

Leapfire: Small ginger tom with white patches of fur.

* * *

**TwilightClan:**

**Leader: **Brownstar: Small brown tom with yellow eyes.**  
**

**Deputy: **Berrysong: Cream and white colored she-cat with light green eyes. Apprentice: Ebonypaw**  
**

**Medicine Cat: **Dovecloud: Small white she-cat with a bushy tail.**  
**

**Warriors: **Daisystrike: Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with yellow eyes.

Foxstrike: Small redish tom with long limbs. Apprentice: Flamepaw

Frostflight: Light silver she-cat with a white underbelly and dark blue eyes. Apprentice: Cinderpaw

Fogwhisker: Dark gray tom with yellow eyes.

Grayclaw: Light gray tom with white paws.

**Apprentices: **Cinderpaw: Light gray and white she-cat with blue eyes.

Ebonypaw: Light brown she-cat with white patches.

Flamepaw: Dark ginger tom with bushy fur.

**Queens: **Harefoot: (Mate is Foxstrike) Brown she-cat with white paws. Kits: Maplekit, Hawkkit)

Hollywhisker: (Mate is Fogwhisker) Longhaired black she-cat.

**Elders: **None**  
**

* * *

**DuskClan:**

**Leader: **Cherrystar: Small red she-cat with amber eyes. Apprentice: Birdpaw**  
**

**Deputy: **Coalleaf: Dark gray and black tom with amber eyes.**  
**

**Medicine Cat: **Cloudsong: Longhaired white she-cat with light blue eyes.**  
**

**Warriors: **Lionstrike: Longhaired orange tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Echopool: Tortoishell she-cat with green eyes. Apprentice: Lilypaw

Copperclaw: Light red tom with long fur.

Embergaze: Dark red tom with a long tail. Apprentice: Cloverpaw

Antfur: Small black tom with a white tail and blue eyes.

**Apprentices: **Lilypaw: Tortoiseshell she-cat with playful light blue eyes.

Cloverpaw: Tortoiseshell she-cat with playful light green eyes.

Birdpaw: Small light brown she-cat with white paws and amber eyes.

**Queens: **Acornheart: (mate is Coalleaf) Light brown and white she-cat with a long tail. Kits: Bramblekit, Brackenkit, Sunkit**  
**

Blossomwing: (Mate is Copperclaw) Small white she-cat with ginger patches.

**Elders: **Badgertail: Large black and white tom.

Crowflight: Large black she-cat with long limbs.

* * *

**NightClan:**

**Leader: **Lakestar: Large silver tom with white patches.**  
**

**Deputy:** Lightwing: Light ginger she-cat. Apprentice: Ravenpaw**  
**

**Medicine Cat: **Moleheart: Large brown tom with yellow eyes. Apprentice: Lightpaw**  
**

**Warriors: **Sunpool: Dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes. Apprentice: Russetpaw

Mudsplash: White tom with dark brown splashes. Apprentice: Smokepaw

Patchclaw: White tom with brown and black patches.

Quickblaze: Large black tom with yellow eyes.

Ratfang: Small gray tabby tom.

**Apprentices: **Ravenpaw: Large black and white she-cat.

Russetpaw: Dark red she-cat.

Smokepaw: Large dark gray tabby tom.

Lightpaw: Small white tom with ginger patches.

**Queens: **Smallstep: (Mate is Patchclaw) Gray tabby she-cat with black paws. Kits: Sootkit, Spiderkit, Talonkit

Tornleaf: (Mate is Quickblaze) Small white she-cat with a torn claw. Kits: Whitekit, Ospreykit

**Elders: **None**  
**

* * *

Mistkit wandered up to Highrock, a little stunned. Was she going to get her apprentice name today? Every cat watched her as she stepped up, some with encouragement, and some with sadness. It was hard going up there without Pebblekit, but Mistkit knew that she was in StarClan looking down on her, happy for her.

When the little blue gray tabby she-cat stood by her leader, she saw every cat looking up at her. The warriors looked proud (as usual), and the other apprentices looked excited. The other kits looked sad, except for Pinekit, who looked jealous. But today was her day.

"Mistkit**, **you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Mistpaw." Brightstar turned to Creekfeather, an outgoing and swift warrior, "Creekfeather**, **you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Stormwhisker, and you have shown yourself to be swift and loyal. You will be the mentor of Mistpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Mistpaw ran up to Creekfeather, excited for her apprenticeship.

"Mistpaw! Mistpaw!"


	3. Ch 2: A Silent Reminder

Mistpaw was disappointed. She got the newest warrior, the one with the least experience. During the ceremony, she thought that her apprenticeship would be wonderful. Now? She would be lucky if she got through half her apprenticeship. She would learn as much as Honeypaw, Rowanpaw, and Skypaw when pigs started to fly!

"What don't you like about him?" Rowanpaw asked late that night in the apprentice den, "it's your first day, and you've only explored the territory so far. Give him a chance."

"He's also new, so just give him a little time. All mentors are like that, even Goldenblaze," Honeypaw added.

"I just need a more serious mentor!" Mistpaw whispered to Rowanpaw. "He thinks that I'm afraid of the forest, of the other Clans, of everything! He was hesitant when he showed me the borders, like I couldn't handle it."

"Can you handle it? Apprenticeship is hard, especially on day one," Rowanpaw reasoned.

"Yes, I can!"

Rowanpaw snorted, "Well, Miss Confidence."

Honeypaw looked at her, "Don't start this, just don't."

* * *

Mistpaw woke up by dawn the next morning, and left the den before any of the other apprentices. Greenleaf was starting, and birds were chirping and singing, butterflies were flying, and the sun was shining. She looked around camp, but couldn't find her mentor.

"Look at our new early bird!" A voice sounded behind her. Brighstar!

"Good morning, Brightstar. Is Creekfeather here?" Mistpaw asked her leader.

"He's asleep." Brightstar looked at Mistpaw with interest, "you must be the only apprentice who wakes up before her mentor. Eager for more training?"

"I guess. Should I go wake Creekfeather up?"

"No, I would wait. Listen, I want to-" Brightstar stopped talking as Asheye, the DawnClan medicine cat, walked towards them.

"Can you help me out, Mistpaw?" Asheye meowed. It also looked like she was asking the request to Brightstar, who nodded.

"I don't really know anything about herbs," Mistpaw responded, "but I'll try."

"Thanks," Asheye said as she led the apprentice into the den.

"You're not trying to get a medicine cat apprentice, are you?" Mistpaw wanted to know, "because I want to be a warrior."

Asheye gave a weak smile. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Mistpaw said. _Did she talk to all new apprentices?_

Asheye looked hesitant, "I know you miss Pebblekit and your mother. It's been moons since it's happened, and it's been just as many moons since you've talked about it. If you ever need anything..."

Mistpaw was not expecting this. She stayed silent.

"Well, I know-" Asheye was cut off as a longhaired white tom with light gray patches walked in.

"Brightstar said you went here," Creekfeather said to Mistpaw, "You weren't hurt yesterday, were you? On your first day?"

"No, I'm fine."

"That's good. We're going to train with the other apprentices today, so I want you to be in best condition." Mistpaw was excited about that, but was still quiet. She didn't know how to respond to Asheye talking about the two cats that she missed more than anything. In the same moon that they died in, Mistpaw had wanted to become a medicine cat apprentice so that she could speak to them in StarClan. But she soon ruled that out. It was StarClan's tradition that had lead both of them to be killed, and she wanted nothing to do with them.

"You're not trying to steal my new apprentice, are you Asheye?" Creekfeather said, trying to get Mistpaw to act excited.

"Of course not," Asheye said, but Mistpaw noticed that she looked a little sad to say it.


End file.
